"Let the kid go, Hellcat." Chromia said, "He's got nothing to do with this."
"Oh really?" Hellcat cocked her helm, "An Autobot doesn't have anything to do with being the enemy of a Decepticon?" The two only glared at her in response and she laughed, "Ah, this feels familiar doesn't it? A poor, cute Autobot mech helpless at my feet, my gun to his helm as his friends try desperately to save him. Of course, he ain't as cute as you, sugar."
She winked at Ironhide, who nearly gagged, "And this is no ordinary gun. Chromia, allow me to introduce you to what you helped create; Weapon R!"
"No…" Chromia's optics widened at the powerful gun holding Smokescreen captive
"What does it do?" Hellcat grinned maniacally, "So glad you asked! Not only is it capable of instantly vaporizing anyone foolish enough to get hit with it, but it also sucks the spark of the unfortunate bot into itself for fuel!"
"So," Hellcat smiled evilly, "Not much of an afterlife if your spark can't even make it to the Well."
"What have I done?" Chromia said, horrified. Ironhide turned to comfort her but at the same moment they both received a comm from Smokescreen as Hellcat prattled on.
:Guys, we gotta shut that thing down:
:Yeah? Well I don' see ya comin' up with any bright ideas, Destiny's Child: Ironhide commed back, a mix of angry and worried
:Actually, I got one: Smokescreen smirked, :Blaster gave me one of his new grenades to test out. If I pull the pin and jam it into the barrel of Weapon R, maybe she won't be able to fire it and it'll blow up in her face!:
:Smokescreen, no: Chromia shook her helm slightly, locking optics with the young bot, :It's too dangerous. Even if she doesn't shoot you, you'd be too close to the blast:
Smokescreen shrugged slightly, :She's gonna shoot me anyways. May as well do something about it:
:Smokescreen, I am your superior officer!: Chromia yelled over the comm, :I order you to stand down, do you hear me?!:
:Kid, please: Ironhide said, distraught, and Smokescreen looked up at him, like he always did.
He gave him a half-hearted smile and said, :Love ya, big bro:, before grabbing the grenade in his subspace, uncorking it and shoving it up the barrel of Weapon R.
"What the-" Hellcat questioned and then her optics widened and she dropped the gun. "Grena-" she yelled as she ran away but she didn't finish her sentence before the gun exploded.
Smokescreen tried to run, but the moment he got to his peds, the explosion blasted him forward into the wall of the alley.
"Smokescreen!" Chromia and Ironhide both yelled and raced toward him as he slid off the wall and onto the ground.
Chromia reached him first and eased him over onto his back, noting with a wince the bits of shrapnel digging into the youth's back and doorwings.
"Kid!" Ironhide said desperately, "Come on Smokes, wake up." He reached forward to shake his shoulders
"No!" Chromia slapped his servos away quickly, "The impact snapped his neck. If you shake him you'll make the damage worse."
"Primus." Ironhide's helm dropped, "Smokescreen, wake up please!"
The young bot coughed, energon flying from his mouth as his optics cracked open, "Did I...did I destroy it?"
"Yeah Smokes." Ironhide smiled sadly, "Ya broke it real good.". Smokescreen smiled a little and closed his optics and Ironhide panicked, "Smokescreen? Come on, stay with me buddy! Chromia!" He waved frantically, "Comm for help!"
"Ironhide…" She said sadly, watching the glow of Smokescreen's spark flicker in its chamber and die out, "It-It's too late."
"What are ya talkin' about, too late?!" Ironhide said desperately, "We can take him back to First Aid; he'll patch him up!"
Chromia shook her helm, tears dripping silently down her faceplates, "He's gone, 'Hide."
"He can't be-Smokescreen can't be gone." Ironhide swallowed the lump in his throat, and pulled the poor bot's motionless frame into his arms, "He's just a kid."
"Wrrgh?" Hellcat groaned, coming back online from the blast. Most of her soldiers were unconscious or dazed and she herself did not look well.
Ironhide wiped a few tears away, carefully deposited Smokescreen's frame on the ground, and walked slowly over to Hellcat.
"Such a shame; he was a cutie pie." Hellcat burbled, "Aww look who's been crying! You gonna cry some more, Autobot baby?"
"Yeah, probably." Ironhide stared her down, "That's what makes us better than you fraggin' 'Cons. We give a damn about our team; they're our family." He raised his gun and aimed the barrel at the center of her forehelm, "Ain't nobody gonna cry for you when yer gone, ya fraggin' bitch."
He squeezed the trigger and Hellcat's frame slumped to the ground. With the blast her soldiers seemed to come back to their senses a little.
"Retreat!" One of them yelled
:Hellcat and Weapon R are offline: Another commed as they ran away, :Send emergency ground bridge immediately:
"I'll-I'll comm for a ground bridge." Chromia said shakily once the Decepticons had left. Ironhide nodded, squeezing his optics shut.
:Base, this is Chromia. We need a ground bridge:
:Hey Chromia: First Aid commed back, :Sending ground bridge now. Chromia...all the Decepticons in Iacon are retreating. What has happened?:
:You'll know in a second: Chromia choked and ended the comm.
The green and blue ground bridge appeared a moment later, and Chromia began attempting to lift Smokescreen until she felt a servo on her shoulder.
"I got him." Ironhide said quietly and Chromia nodded. She watched the large silver mech carefully lift the body of his little brother, his shoulders shaking as he stepped into the ground bridge.
Her spark was practically breaking in half for the poor mech as they stepped into the base. He and Smokescreen were immediately swarmed with concerned bots, until First Aid shoved his way through and gave everyone a glare intense enough to melt metal.
Everyone took about four steps back except Blaster, who had optics only for his friend.
"Let me take a look at him." First Aid said and Ironhide shook his helm
"There ain't nothin' you can do anymore First Aid." Ironhide choked out, "He's offline."
"No!" Blaster burst out, shaking a little, and Chromia put her arm around the young bot.
"He took Weapon R offline with him. He died a hero, Blaster. You just remember that."
"We all will." First Aid said hoarsely, and Ironhide nodded. He followed First Aid into the Medbay and gently set Smokescreen down on a medical berth.
"Goodbye little buddy." Ironhide said thickly. He walked slowly towards his quarters, and Chromia saw Optimus, one of his oldest friends, try to reach out.
"Ironhide, do you want to talk-"
"Nope." Ironhide cut him off and kept walking right past him, intent on just getting to his quarters.
He needs some time, Chromia thought and glanced sadly at the still body in the Medbay and the mournful atmosphere surrounding it. Primus knows we all do.